The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1887-04-14
KISSANE, THE FILIBUSTER.
The Forger's Exploits In Niearagua-Ro
bling the Robbers

A New Orleans dispatch to the New
York Herald gives the following story of
William Kissane, who was convicted of
forgery and sent to prison in New
York in 1854, escaped from the train,
and was not heard from again until re-
Gently, when it was learned that he is a
wealthy and respected citizen of Cali
fornia, living under AN assumed name:
NEW ORLEANS, La April 10.-Mark
Pittman, a railroad man, who was one
of Walkers filibusters in Nicaragua and
left an arm in the country, in an inter
view to-day gives some personal remi-
niscences of William Kissane.
Pittman says ''Kissane came out from
New Orleans and joined the expedition
in the city of Leon. He was well known
to the filibusters by reputation and was
| then a little over thirty years of age, and
although l was but a boy we soon became
very intimate. kissane was we'll posted
| on Central American affairs, and he
| made many things clear to me. He and
| occupied "A large room bordering on the
| courtyard Little Kipp and Oliver COM
pleted our mess. Kissane occasionally
| entertained us with history of his ex-
plOits. The burning of the Martha Wash
| Ington was enough, in our youthful eyes.
/
| an instrument in the hands of craftier
| men in this affair i am fully convinced
SHARING STOLEN DIAMONDS.
| .'On the night of the twelfth of Decem-
Der Kissane, Kipp and myself were
| practicing with the brOadswOrd when the
door suddenly opened and in walked
Oliver, dragging behind him badly
| scared negro whom he had detected in
Il he CT of rnh nf larCr haC
| das near the town. We searched him
and found secreted under his shirt a
small sized sandlewoOd box. We opened
it, and before our eyes blaZed the most
magnificent diamond necklace that |
had ever seen. There were twenty-three
stones, none of them weighing less than
four carats each. 1t did not take long
to detach the diamonds and divide them
between us. Oliver then showed the
negro through the door and both dis
appeared in the darkness. The next
morning a negro about his size was
found stone dead, shot through thu
heart, near the plaza
II carried my gems about my person
until l was wounded. After my recov
cry l found they had mysteriously disap
peared. Kipp saved his and sold then
in New York for 5000. He afterwart
told ME that the proceeds lasted him JUS
l
shortly after killed in a street brawl
When | reached his dead body | foun,
another hand had preceded me in claim
ing the diamonds.
Kissane was now in high favor witt
? | Walker. There We're eight of us un
der his immediate command, and w
called it the Hacienda Department
accompanied him in every foraging ex
petition into the country. and L mus
say l never saw him perpetrate singl
act of cruelty. The charge that Nissan
e captured several Indian women and hel
Y them as hostages Is absolutely false. |
= | the month of January our company
with two others, We're ordered to Carr
: son the city of Leon.
THE BATTLE OF RIvAs.
y I'VE We're four days in making til
march and the people received us wit
open arms. kissane had meanwhile bee
7, appointed Chief of the Commissary ID
It partment. We staid here two month
= and were then ordered by Walker to r.
:, turn To Grenada and join his force. while
was then advancing toward the city
e Rivas to meet the allied troops of ii
e five republics.
The little city of Rivas was the scer
of the bloodiest battle of the war. o,
L force consisted of 416 Americans and 1,
e natives, while the allies We're 2,2'
), strong and they received reinforcement
b of 300 more during the fight. Nissan
eager to engage in the fray, joined al
y company in the capacity of a private.
;" the act of dragging off a cannon with
~ our lines | was shot through the arm
scarcely knew ii at the time as | w
greatly excited. The last | rememb
III was Voice in my ear. .'Lieutenal
Pittman, L congratulate you" 1t w
10 Walker, and had been promoted on Il
'. field.
TWICE SAVED BY KIsSANE.
IN The next | remember | was ON a mu
', with kssane beside me. L was sufferiI
from awful pain. and We were falliI
n back. He whooped for me to keep I
" my courage, and applied something
no my nostrils; knew nothing more unit
on recovering consciousness, L was
y the old apartments in Grenada, mini
y an arm. After my recovery, thrOus
IA | the Vaccinations of certain officers.
was unj Justly accused of insubordin
ton, stood a court martial and was Sc
III fenced To death. | was finally release
at through the endeavors of Kissane, WI
,a had much influence with Walker. III
history of this matter alone would maj
III an interesting story. l finally we
ri home, firmly yowing never To filibust
g. again. have never seen kissane sin
49, that time.
- GENTLEMAN AND BRAVE SOLDIER
Is Mr.. Maurice Scully. a well know
er warehouseman of this city, was capita
70 of Company \, Second Infantr
IN Nicaraguan army. His statement diffe
widely from that of Pitman. Sculiy h
no recollection of kissane at all, but W
n. well acquainted with Colonel Villa
ii n. Rodgers of Walkers command.
II OF this acquaintance he speaks az (,
lows: Il went To Nicaragua in Marc
he 1856, ON the steamer Charles Morgan,
al company with some three hundred mol
under the command of General Horn
i, | ley, and arrived in time to participate
the first fight of Rivas on the 18th
~ April 1856. On the march from tirana,
lc to Rivas l became acquainted Wi
u Colonel William n. Rogers and co
10 tinued an intimate acquaintance wi
him until after the surrender, and CO
AS tinued the acquaintance for sever
FL months after we returned to Ne
Isa Orleans.
~ ..As regards the name Kissane, nev
:" heard it until l read of it a few days az
rs | know nothing of Colonel Rodgers
he as "A brave soldier and a heightened ge
II. tleman. As regards this man Youn
who says Colonel Rodgers caused &
Ut execution of Scales, don't know You
r. and don't remember him. As regar
b. Scales l know that he deserted, and
tn officer of the day at the time of the 81
render l never heard of Scales executi
W before until reading of it the other ia
IN As regards the burning of the Mart
n Washington. L never heard Color
r. Rodgers name connected with the affs
by any person of standing. Color
III Rodgers was a man who was trust
IL with a good deal of money and articl
be of value, being Minister of the Haciend